Ink and graphite on wove paper
USA, 1981
Robert Longo (b. 1953) – American sculptor, painter and draftsman
‘Study for Ascension Album Cover’
Indistinctly inscribed and dated in graphite lower right ’81’
Framed and matted
Image dimensions: 12 ½ x 12 in. (31.8 x 31.6 cm.)
Sheet dimensions: 13 " x 13 " in. (34.2 x 34.2 cm.)
Overall dimensions: 18 ½ x 18 ½ in. (47 x 47 cm.)
Good condition

Longo’s interest in sculpture – having studied it in New York – pervades his drawing technique, as his “portraits” have a distinctly carved line that gives the drawings a three-dimensional quality. Using graphite like clay, he molds line and dorm to create images such as his dancing figures in his seminal Men in the Cities series (1979). One drawing from this series was used as the album cover to Glenn Branca’s album, “The Ascension.” This ink and graphite drawing is a study for the cover, featuring confident outlines of two figures, one holding the limp body of the other.

Executed in 1981, this ink and graphite on wove paper is inscribed and dated in the lower right. Framed and matted, the sheet measures 13 " x 13 " inches.

Robert Longo (American, b. 1953)

Sculptor, painter, and draftsman Robert Longo is well known for his bold drawings and sculptural works fusing pop culture and Fine Art. Longo was born in Brooklyn, New York, and his love of pop culture, cartoons, and print media as a child later significantly influenced his art. After establishing a cooperative gallery in Buffalo during his college years, he joined a circle of underground artists working in New York City in the early 1980s. He created both drawings and sculptures examining issues of masculinity, power, mass media, and urban lifestyles, and has been critically recognized for works such as hisMen in the Cities series. Longo’s work has been included in the Whitney Biennial in New York, documenta in Kassel, and the Venice Biennale, among many other prestigious exhibitions. He currently lives and works in New York.

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